Cover Jennifer Margolin (Photo: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)
Jennifer Margolin (Photo: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)
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Jennifer Margolin’s home decor store Belevivi, which is now open in Central, brings European brands to Asia— think Austrian fine crystal and chandelier maker Lobmeyr and French cutlery manufacturer Capdeco
If the Covid slowdown taught us anything, it’s that investing in your home will always be worth it. While it took a pandemic for many of us to realise this, Jennifer Margolin has been on a mission to beautify people’s lives for years.
After moving from Los Angeles to Hong Kong with her husband and daughter in 2014, Margolin was surprised to find a lack of home decor brands between budget and uber-luxe. “It was either Ikea or Indigo Living,” says Margolin, who describes her personal style as “high-style comfort” and enjoys mixing textures and patterns with unexpected pops of colour at home. “I love to entertain family and close friends—my grandmother was the ultimate hostess and instilled that in me from a young age—but it was a struggle to find stylish home decor items here.”
The pandemic and travel restrictions made the gap in the market even more obvious to Margolin. “As more people were entertaining at home during Covid-19, it became evident how much we lacked options for beautiful, quality homeware here”—which was emphasised as travelling abroad to shop for unique homeware came to a halt.
In 2022, Belevivi was born. Originally an online store, it is a partnership between Margolin and her friend Sasha Dennig, who is behind Callixto, a Hong Kong jewellery boutique. Meaning “living beautifully” in Esperanto, Belevivi brought European brands to Asia— think Austrian fine crystal and chandelier maker Lobmeyr; French cutlery manufacturer Capdeco; and glassware brands Ichendorf Milano and Klimchi, based in Italy and the Czech Republic respectively, among others.
In the autumn of 2022, the duo launched Belevivi’s first brick-and-mortar, by-appointment-only retail space on Mee Lun Street in Central. Featuring blue Majorelle exteriors, it is an inviting space where customers are encouraged to feel the quality of linens, see the colour range of the products and get inspired by dinner table settings.
Though Margolin’s focus today is on home decor, Tatler insiders may recognise the entrepreneur’s name from her other successful business, the online flower and gifting platform Bydeau, which she launched in 2015. Before founding Bydeau, Margolin worked as a creative consultant within the technology, financial services and fashion sectors, and also ran a successful event planning business in California. She also previously operated JM Creative, providing styling and design services for brands such as Aldo, Burberry and Levi’s.
This year, Belevivi will be expanding to Singapore. Margolin hopes the brand will offer furniture in addition to home decor products. The goal is to create a place for quality homeware that’s easily available to all, says Margolin—a match for her passion for beauty and living well. “Living beautifully is using a bone china mug for your morning coffee, setting and using your best tableware for a midweek evening—just because,” she says. “Surrounding yourself with beautiful items that put a smile on your face makes life that much more cheerful.”
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Credits
Photography: Affa Chan
As Content Director at Tatler Hong Kong, Tara shapes the brand's editorial vision and reports on Asia's most influential figures — from CEOs and business leaders to designers. In her dual role as Head of VIP, she curates star-studded events and builds the relationships and communities that define the brand. Born and raised in the Middle East, she honed her craft in Dubai, crafting communication strategies for luxury brands across the Gulf. Follow her on Instagram @tarasobti.
